The sounds of nature, and a sexy storytime await at the next edition of Songsine. Organic percussionist and innovator of musical instruments Baba Ayinde Onilu will make his amazing sound-making creations sing at the show, taking place on September 8th at Kafe Blue (Kaiso Blues) on Wrightson Road.
Baba Ayinde has been a part of the cultural landscape of Trinidad and Tobago for over twenty years and plays a variety of traditional and contemporary percussion, stringed and wind instruments for his band Dayo Bejide. He sees his work as a continuation of the legacy of his father, master drummer Ja Jah Oga Onilu.
“I’m embarking on an organic music awareness campaign, says Onilu, “and on the night I will be demonstrating a few of our instruments, along with our musical presentation.”
He will be joined by Mark Brewster on keys and flute, and Patrice Inglesbirth on vocals.
Also on the cast is award-winning writer, poet and essayist, Andre Bagoo. Bagoo’s books include the acclaimed essay collection The Undiscovered Country (Peepal Tree Press, 2020), winner of the 2021 OCM Bocas Prize for Non-fiction, as well as several full-length poetry collections, most recently Pitch Lake (Peepal Tree Press, 2017), and Narcissus (Broken Sleep Books, forthcoming).
Bagoo will read from his eagerly-anticipated fiction debut, The Dreaming (Peepal Tree Press), now available at Paper Based Bookshop. In the new book, a collection of short stories, gay characters experience the highs and lows of life in Trinidad: “Written with a highly enjoyable sharpness of perception and an engaging personal voice these stories find room for humour, Bagoo’s stories offer a witty and acutely drawn portrait of contemporary Trinidad in all its intersections of race, class, and gender politics.” (-Google Books)
It will also be his first time appearing on the Songshine stage. “I’m looking forward to finally being able to share it with in-person audiences,” says Bagoo.
Songshine is an open-mic concert, so audience members are invited to perform their written or musical works onstage. “We made this stage so everyone can have a place to shine,” says Gillian Moor, musician and Songshine producer and host. “All are invited!”
